The purpose of this grant was to provide funding to North Carolina Central University’s BRITE Institute to initiate ten-week paid internships for 20 students per year at biotech and pharmaceutical companies located in rural North Carolina. BRITE developed agreements with pharmaceutical and biotech companies in rural counties to gain an understanding of their employment needs and to recruit students for internship placements. BRITE advisors worked to ensure that adequate housing was identified for interns, provided an orientation for students prior to placement, and assisted companies with monitoring student performance. Golden LEAF funds were used to pay work stipends and to assist students with housing and travel while working in rural companies.
